#anyway this list is massive but i think at least dipping my foot into some of the poems/short stories will be fun

[revasserium]

the unofficial ultimate bungo stray dogs reading list

this is mainly for myself bc i rly do want to read most if not all of these and i'm sure it's already been done by someone somewhere. but, i thought why not post it lmao; most if not all of these can be found on anna's archive, z-library, or project gutenberg! (also, consider buying from your local bookstore!) for those that are a bit harder to find, i've included links, though some are from j-stor and would require login to access.

detective agency:

osamu dazai:

no longer human (novel)

the setting sun (novel)

nakajima atsushi:

the moon over the mountain: stories (short story collection)

light, wind and dreams (short story)

fukuzawa yukichi:

an encouragement of learning (17 volume collections of writings)

all the countries of the world, for children written in verse (textbook)

yosano akiko:

kimi shinitamou koto nakare (poem)

midaregami (poetry collection)

edogawa ranpo:

the boy detectives club (book series)

japanese tales of mystery and imagination (short story collection)

the early cases of akechi kogoro (novel)

kunikida doppo:

river mist and other stories (short story collection)

izumi kyouka:

demon lake (play)

spirits of another sort: the plays of izumi kyoka (play collection)

tanizaki junichirou:

the makioka sisters (novel)

the red roof and other stories (short story collection)

miyazawa kenji:

ame ni mo makezu; be not defeated by the rain (poem)

night on the galactic railroad (novel)

strong in the rain (poetry collection)

port mafia:

mori ougai:

vita sexualis (novel)

the dancing girl (novel)

nakahara chuuya:

poems of nakahara chuya (poetry collection)

akutagawa ryuunosuke:

rashoumon (short story)

the spider's thread (short story)

rashoumon and other stories (short story collection)

ozaki kyouyou:

the gold demon (novel)

higuchi ichiyou:

in the shade of spring leaves (biography and short stories)

hirotsu ryuurou:

falling camellia (novel)

tachihara michizou:

in mourning for the summer (poem)

midwinter momento (poem)

from the country of eight islands: an anthology of japanese poetry (poetry collection)

kajii motojirou:

lemon (short story)

yumeno kyuusaku:

dogra magra (novel)

oda sakunosuke:

flawless/immaculate (short story)

sakaguchi ango:

darakuron (essay)

the guild:

f. scott fitzgerald:

the great gatsby (novel)

the beautiful and the damned (novel)

edgar allen poe:

the raven (poem)

the black cat (short story)

the murders in the rue morgue (short story)

herman melville:

moby dick (novel)

h.p. lovecraft:

the call of cthulhu (short story)

the shadow out of time (novella)

john steinbeck:

the grapes of wrath (novel)

of mice and men (novel)

lucy maud montgomery:

anne of green gables (novel)

the blue castle (novel)

chronicles of avonlea (short story collection)

louisa may alcott:

little women (novel)

the brownie and the princess (short story collection)

margaret mitchell:

gone with the wind (novel)

mark twain:

the adventures of tom sawyer (novel)

adventures of huckleberry finn (novel)

nathaniel hawthorn:

the scarlet letter (novel)

rats in the house of the dead:

fyodor dostoevsky:

crime and punishment (novel)

the brothers karamozov (novel)

notes from the underground (short story collection)

alexander pushkin:

eugene onegin (novel)

a feast in time of plague (play)

ivan goncharov:

the precipice (novel)

oguri mushitarou:

the perfect crime (novel)

decay of the angel:

fukuchi ouchi:

the mirror lion, a spring diversion (kabuki play)

bram stoker:

dracula (novel)

dracula's guest and other weird stories (short story collection)

nikolai gogol:

the overcoat (short story)

dead souls (novel)

hunting dogs: (i must caveat here that the hunting dogs are named after much more comparatively obscure jpn writers/playwrights so i was unable to find a lot of the specific pieces actually mentioned; but i still wanted to include them on the list because well -- it wouldn't be a bsd list without them)

okura teruko:

gasp of the soul (short story; i wasn't able to find an english translation)

devil woman (short story)

jouno saigiku:

priceless tears (kabuki play; no translation but at least we have a summary)

suehiro tetchou:

setchuubai/a political novel: plum blossoms in snow (novel)

division for unusual powers:

taneda santouka:

the santoka: versions by scott watson (poetry collection)

tsujimura mizuki:

lonely castle in the mirror (novel)

yesterday's shadow tag (short story collection; i was unable to find a translation)

order of the clock tower:

agatha christie:

and then there were none (novel)

murder on the orient express (novel)

she is the best selling fiction writer of all time there's too much to list here

mimic:

andre gide:

strait is the gate (novel)

trascendents:

arthur rimbaud:

illuminations (poetry collection)

the drunken boat (poem)

a season in hell (prose poem)

johann von goethe:

faust

the sorrows of young werther

paul verlaine:

clair de lune (poem, yes it did inspire the debussy piece, yes)

poems under saturn (poetry collection)

victor hugo:

the hunchback of notre-dame (novel)

les miserables (novel)

william shakespeare:

romeo and juliet (play)

a midsummer nights' dream (play)

sonnets (poetry collection)

the seven traitors:

jules verne:

around the world in 80 days (novel)

journey to the center of the earth (novel)

twenty thousand leagues under the seas (novel)

other:

natsume souseki:

i am a cat (novel)

kokoro (novel)

botchan (novel)

h.g. wells:

the time machine (novella)

the invisible man (novel)

the war of the worlds (novel)

shibusawa tatsuhiko:

the travels of prince takaoka (novel; unable to find translation)

dr. mary wollstonecraft godwin shelley

frankenstein (novel)

#bungo stray dogs #bsd #literature #dark academia #reading list #academia #i'm sure there's people i've missed but i did my best LOL #this also really throws into a stark contrast how relatively un-worldly american literary curriculums really are #obviously; it makes vague sense to focus american literary schooling on the western 'canon' bc so much of the english language #is influenced by it and the 'culture' is more touched by it but HOLY SHIT does it just... astound me #how uneducated i am on even east asian literature (from wheremst i technically hail!!!) #i know like.... maybe 3?? 4??? chinese writers off cuff??? #like the only reason i even know anything about jpn literature is i got my minor in jpn so i read some stuff but WOWWWWW there's a wORLD. #the fact that i knew not a SINGLE work by most of these jpn writers but as soon as we got to the guild members #i didn't even have to fucking google/wiki -- i just KNEW off the top of my head #kinda fucked up tbh;;;; #anyway this list is massive but i think at least dipping my foot into some of the poems/short stories will be fun

[gdcee]

Road to Nowhere

Pairing: Loki/Sigyn - mild, might have to squint to see it.

Summary: Loki and Sigyn talk while she escorts him to Kid Loki's Kingdom.

Warnings: Panic attack.

=================

"You know I'm only going to keep pestering you until I have the answer."

"I wish you luck in your endeavour," Sigyn returned coolly, stepping lightly as she began to climb the massive pile of garbage blocking their path. "Nevertheless, my lips remain sealed."

Loki huffed, a slight quirk at the corner of his lips which was not quite a smirk. He set off after her, determined to be the first to the summit of Rubbish Peak.

He had to admit he was quite intrigued by that tantalising crumb of information this Sigyn (so very like and yet not quite like his own) had dangled before him. Of course he was curious about the identity of the lucky bastard who had won her fidelity.

All he had was a preferred pronoun. That at least eliminated half of his (admittedly rather short to begin with) list of possible lucky bastards.

After he had gone through the list (which did not take long because as stated earlier, it was really quite short), he started throwing out random names to see if any of them got a reaction.

No such luck.

His attempts to tease and fluster the information out of her had been just as ineffective.

Her reaction to his puppy dog eyes routine had been...perplexing. He'd gotten one soft, achingly tender smile before a heavy melancholy had descended upon her. Like the dark shadow of a mourning veil stealing the brightness from her eyes and the colour from her cheeks.

She had not reprimanded him, but he made a note not to pull that trick again anyway. Besides the practical reasons for keeping her goodwill (survival, information, mental stimulation), the simple fact was that she was Sigyn.

He didn't want to be the cause of her unhappiness. Not anymore.

Being a harmless annoyance and pest was still perfectly acceptable though.

He stood atop the great mound of refuse, his hands and face smeared with oil and other liquids of questionable origin, grinning triumphantly down at Sigyn. He vanished the grime he'd accumulated before gallantly holding out his hand to her.

Sigyn huffed a soft little laugh, the barest hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth. Without any hesitation, she reached out and allowed him to pull her up.

Loki glanced down to where they had started and noted that it was a long drop. Not nearly enough to kill an Asgardian or a Frost Giant, but enough to hurt.

Trust.

It made him feel as giddy as the first time he'd tasted the enchanted, heady liquid gold that was the mead brewed from honey harvested from the hives of the talking bees that resided near Iðunn's famous apple orchards.

"Ahem."

Loki realised with no small degree of embarrassment that he was still holding Sigyn's hand. He hurriedly worked a spell to remove the dirt under her fingernails and let go. Then to cover up his embarrassment, he resumed pestering.

"I don't understand why the identity of your beau necessitates such secrecy," he sighed with the lightest touch of a pleading whine, "Do you think I would object to your taste? He can't possibly be worse than Theoric."

"I think my life choices are none of your business."

"Exactly! You should forget about my opinion. Shout his name to the world and damn the naysayers and killjoys."

"I would but sadly, Alioth has a sense of hearing."

With that, she picked up a flat sheet of metal lying loose and proceeded to slide down Rubbish Peak on the improvised board. Despite being only at most a quarter Ljósálfar on her mother's side, she moved with their characteristic effortless grace.

Loki peered down, did a couple of quick mental calculations and snapped his fingers. He disappeared from the summit with a flare of green light and reappeared at the bottom no more than a second later in similar fashion.

"Good to see your teleport still works," Sigyn tossed her wind-mussed hair out of her face, "Why didn't you use it earlier to get to the top?"

"Too much debris and no decent eyeline. I didn't want to risk getting stuck under a foot of garbage." He frowned, pondering. "Still works?"

"Not a reference to you personally," she moved forward without looking behind to see if he followed, "Just something I noticed about some of the other Lokis around here."

"Power loss? Nothing to do with you and that coven of other Sigyns whose domain I and the other Lokis are forbidden from entering, I presume?"

"No, I've seen it even in Lokis on their first trepass - if something is limiting their power it's not us. In any case, we would never do anything to permanently disable a Loki's magic. There's just some things you don't do to a fellow mage, you know?"

"You just rough them up a little and kick them off the property?"

"More or less. Except for the kid and alligator."

"Do I want to know how one instance of me ended up as a semi-aquatic Midgardian reptile?"

"You can ask him yourself when we get to the Kid's Kingdom," she paused for a moment, as if she'd just remembered something, "Or maybe not, I think only the old man you knows how to talk to him."

Loki blinked.

"There's an old me?" He asked, disbelieving, "As in a wizened, wrinkled, looks like your grandmother me?"

"Eh, not quite as old as Grandma Hretha. Maybe about 4,000? 5,000?" She shrugged, "Either way, your vanity may rest easy; you look perfectly fine as an old man."

"Thank you for that milquetoast endorsement of my future self's good looks," Loki said dryly, "I was more perturbed about...something else."

Curiouser and curiouser.

How had the aged variant escaped their destined end? How had he managed to grow old before the TVA arrived to arrest him for cheating his final death?

He thought about the tape featuring all the TVA approved highlights of his life.

He thought about that other Loki, the Loki who had played out the role assigned to him and how very young (the same face as his own) and terrified (the same fear as his own) he had looked with the Mad Titan's monstrous hand around his throat.

Loki swallowed thickly and pulled at the collar of his TVA issued office shirt which suddenly seemed far too tight. The tie impeded his work and as he struggled to loosen it he could feel his terror rising up to choke him.

there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he cannot find you

inevitable

you think you know pain?

Inevitable

HE WILL MAKE YOU LONG FOR SOMETHING AS SWEET AS PAIN

He felt his legs buckle and his knees hit the ground as if it were happening to someone else.

"Loki!" Sigyn's voice was close but he heard it as if a great distance separated them, "Loki, breathe."

"What do you think I'm doing?" He wheezed.

"I am going to remove the tie and unfasten your collar," Sigyn continued as if she had not even noticed his rudeness, "I will need to touch you to do this. Alright?"

Needing help for such a pitifully simple task was galling. But he didn't want Sigyn to leave him. Loki managed a shaky nod. He let her ease his trembling, sweaty hands from his shirt collar. With quick, brisk movements she pulled the tie loose and tossed it somewhere to join the rest of the garbage.

"Follow my breathing now." Her voice was clearer to him now, more present. She was kneeling next to him, so close and warm and oh, her hair did still smell like apple blossoms. He watched the regular rise and fall of her chest and tried to match it. "That's it. Very good. Nice and slow."

Her fingers were at his throat for a mercifully short time. Just long enough to pop the top button loose and push the starched fabric away from his neck.

"Stay with me. You're doing very well. Breathe with me. In. And out. In. And out."

Without really thinking he grabbed her hand and pressed her palm against the centre of his chest. Perhaps he was possessed by some irrational notion that the pressure against his breastbone could keep his thundering heart from beating right out of his chest.

She didn't try to pull away. Her hand was warm, even through the shirt fabric. She moved a little, and one of her dainty fingers slipped into the open gap of his unbuttoned collar and brushed against the dip between his clavicles. His breath caught in his throat for a moment before Sigyn's gentle prompting had him matching her rhythm once more.

"Feel better?" She asked after what seemed an eternity.

"Yes," he breathed, "Yes, much." His chest still felt a little tight but the worst of that dreadful episode was over.

"Good." She lifted her hand from his chest and patted his shoulder firmly - a gesture that he had seen Týr bestow upon struggling Einherjar recruits after they'd passed the final leg of their training. "You did very well."

He didn't feel like he'd done anything worth praising. He'd collapsed like a pack of cards. This wasn't the first time he'd experienced terror but every time before now he had been able to push past it - stamp it down through sheer force of will and that primitive, animal part of his brain that knew that danger was never far away.

Why had he folded now? Now - when he was probably the most at ease he'd been in ages (months? Years? How long had it been since New York?) and the threat of Thanos was no longer an issue-

...a terrible thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Just out of curiosity," Loki tried to sound nonchalant, "Have you ever come across a fellow by the name of Thanos here?"

"Thanos?" Sigyn's brows drew together in a frankly rather adorable expression of pure befuddlement.

Ah. Well, at least he could place whatever nexus event had led to her pruning as occurring before Ragnarok and Thanos's massacre of half the Asgardian survivors.

"Big purple fellow," he explained, "Quite ugly, enormous chin, has rather disturbing ideas about resource management."

"Uh, no, I can't say that I've ever met anyone like that here."

"You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "I can swear on my magic if that would reassure you."

Sigyn had always been very leery about oaths, especially ones bound with magic. Most mages worth their salt were.

And yet...he couldn't really explain why, but he'd always felt like her issues with them were less about best practices and more about some personal grievance.

That she would offer him such a thing...

Loki felt completely undeserving.

"No," he said hurriedly, "No, no, it's fine. I...I trust you."

Sigyn smiled. It was the first real smile he'd seen so far and it was like watching the sun come out from behind a cloud. He didn't know if it would last - if that melancholy from before would snatch away the sweetness of this moment.

So Loki ruined the moment before it could be stolen from him.

"...even though you refuse to tell me about your paramour."

Sigyn scoffed, all exasperation but it was better than seeing her sad.

"You are insufferable."

"Thank you, I do try."

She snorted and shook her head. "Alright, come on, you goose," she helped him up, and even though his legs were slightly shaky, he stood and did not fall. "Our first rest stop is about 20 feet...thereaboutish-" she waved vaguely in the direction of a mostly empty grassy knoll upon which a gaggle of the oddest creatures scurried. They resembled iridescent headless chickens with little purple spheres hovering over their severed necks.

"I still think we should have taken the car."

"Ugh," Sigyn wrinkled her nose, "Cahrs. Nasty, noisy, smelly things. I swear, Midgard really went downhill after those monstrosities were invented. "

#loki #sigyn #mcu #logyn

[akwardlyuncool]

Class Favorites: Was The Show What I Needed?

A ranking of all the shows I finished in 2021.

1) Kid Nation (2007) *1 Season

This was a re-watch that I did sometime in between some other shows that I was watching and since I hadn’t watched it since I was in high school, I got all of the “fresh” excitement/feels of the show during the binge I took with it. After it was over, I watched a few where are they nows, some cast (as adults) interviews and I think even a cast tier list video. The extra content fell off rather quickly, but that moment as a whole was great.

Side Note: As a Hasanabi fan I thought several times about how I wanted to see him to react to the show cause I just wanted to hear him call some kids based and others future Republicans. I just know it would be a good time.

2) 90210 (2010) *5 Seasons

Now I didn’t watch all 5 seasons in 2021, however I did conclude whatever seasons I was on and thus the series, this year. Yes it is the true spin-off and far better than the spin-off/reboot/not-a-reboot thing they tried to do with the original cast in more recent times. It ranks so high simply because of how dramatic it was. I’ll admit that the the ending wasn’t good and upon checking my notes, I thought it was rushed and didn’t properly close things out too well. That being said the ending of these kinds of shows very frequently don’t do what they need to do, but the series as an entity finds many ways to hit all of the right spots. Even if you cringe at most them.  

3) Life As We Know It (2004-2005) *1 Season

With only 13 episodes the show it still managed to give me my moment of 2000′s Teen Drama feels that I crave so deeply, so that alone justifies its 3rd place ranking. It’s also the only show that I’ve written an actual review on this year, which means it gets points for that too. It for sure kept me engaged though, so everything tends to add up.

4) Good Trouble Season 3 Part Something

Covid messed up many production’s air-times and Good Trouble was no stranger to the wonky season parts, but I think we were still on season 3 this year. Anyway it was fairly good, I question some of the character’s decision making and the massive cliff hangers they decided to leave us on, but I’m still hooked. This is a series I’m continuing to follow through with, so it’s not so much about it being what I needed, but the fact that new episodes were available to me and that gives me something to look forward to every week.

Side Note: I watch a ton of Colleen Balinger videos on YouTube and she just happens to be married to Erik Stocklin who plays Matt on the show and that kind of crossover made me really happy.

5) Escape The Night *All 4 Seasons

This was another moment that I took this year, that kept me engaged and motivated to keep going forward with it. This fantastic YouTube series was also the topic of discussion for me and my friends, well more like I talked about it several times during its stint in my life. There was also some Gabbie Hanna “drama” that came out afterwards that I was interested in simply because of the time I spent watching the series. My hope is that they come out with a season 5 cause they’ve already set it up to do just that.

Side Note: I put ETN in the “TV” series category and also in the YouTube category as well because of how much it felt like an actual show with the amount of production that went in to it.

6) Riverdale/Rivervale Season 4/5/Something

I’m gonna keep watching this show, however it is such a mess. They keep on adding half musical episodes inside of regular episodes and continuously doing the most at all times, to the point where I’m only here because I cannot, not be. I wouldn’t recommend someone get into this ridiculousness now, but hey if you’ve already dipped at least your entire foot into the mix, then you might as well dive full force into the rest of it, cause you’ve made it that far. I don’t expect this show to give me what I need, I take what it wants to give and let that be what I need, even if I’m irritated by it.

.

.

All The Shows I Started/Continued/Almost Finished, But Did Not Complete In 2021.

Still working on Step By Step (Probably somewhere in season 5 at this point.)

Hulu ruined my life by taking it off their platform, so I have to find a new way to finish the show.

Malcolm In The Middle (Somewhere in season 3.)

It gave so much, I just didn’t get as far as I wanted to with it this year.

Girlfriends (Maybe just starting season 5.)

This is a re-watch that I’m doing with a friend of mine, but we put it on pause at one point and haven’t picked it back up yet. It was what I needed, again just didn’t finish it.

18 To Life (Season 2, probably close to the end somewhere.)

Too lazy to write the review I want to write on it, so I haven’t finished it yet, basically avoiding future responsibilities.

Everwood (Season 4)

I’m literally on the last few episodes, but again I’ve put off finishing it cause I know I want to write a review of some sort and have been too lazy to do that. I know that is hella ridiculous, but it is what it is.

#Class Favorites 2021 #AKWARD CLASS FAVORITES #TV Talking Time #Kid Nation #90210 #90210 Spin Off #Life As We Know It #Life As We Know It TV Show #Good Trouble #Good Trouble Season 3 #Escape The Night #Riverdale #Rivervale #Riverdale Season 4 #Riverdale Season 5 #TV #TV Shows

[tabootheunicorn]

You, Me and The Duke (part 3) (Sinclaire x mc)

You, Me and The Duke (part 3) (Sinclaire x mc)

A/N- Oof I went from taking a month to get a chapter rout to taking two hours. Sorry, I just have to get it off my chest I didn't really look back through so sorry if it's bad! honestly did not think it was going this way when I wrote it but oh well. haha, I,m already working on part four doubt it will be out tonight though maybe tomorrow maybe in a month who knows...

Pairing- Sinclaire x mc

Rating-PG 13

Word count- about 1200

summary: lady Samantha travels back to where it all started... what will she do now she is all alone. will she survive been all alone again or will a certain maid come to find her?

through the tears Lady Samantha saw a familiar path, she was taking herself to Grovershire. the events of the past few hours played back through her mind over and over just a few months ago she was a nobody, she was just a young girl destined to be a maid or a farmers wife. now, she was a heiress she lived on a vast estate and she now has the attention of many suitors including a duke and a rather handsome country squire.

The Majestic Black stallion thundered down the road putting a good distance between the Duke and herself. Grovershire was the logical choice as she already had property there and she knows the duke had no clue where she was from due to his lack of care however Mr. Sinclaire knows more about her past than most people and perhaps she was secretly hoping that a certain gentleman would come to find her.

A few hours later she came to a stop in front of her old cottage. Sighing, she dismounted from Mr. Sinclaire's stallion who she had nicknamed "Crazy Eyes" due to having one smaller eye giving him that crazy look. she had taken off his tack and left him in the pasture before stepping foot into the cottage.

"it looks the same" lady Samantha muttered to herself.

Hmm, maybe it would have been a good idea to just stay here my life was so much more simple when I was just a nobody. when they were no dukes to avoid or noble-folk to impress. when I didn't have to fight off my evil step-mother when I didn't have to learn to become an accomplished lady. she thought to herself.

she sighed as she locked the door to the small cottage and walked into her cramped bedroom. she slipped out of her dress and put on one of her old gowns: a simple white country dress suited more for work than class.

"I knew I would find you here!"

Samantha jumped at the voice and quickly spun around to see who was ever so rudely intruding.

"briar?!" she sputtered at her friend "but how did you get in I locked the door?"

"I climbed in the window Duh. I couldn't just leave you alone in Grovershire I would have got here quicker but you get a head start also your horse was quicker.

"I'm so sorry I left without telling you i... I just had to get out of there and then I went to see Mr. Sinclaire but they found me so I ran away to here. if there is any way I could make it u--"

"Don't be silly Samantha I totally get that you had to get out of there I was glad to get away from that disgusting old leecher as well. the staff at Edgewater are struggling to keep up with his preposterous demands. oh, poor Mr woods is but a slave now."

Lady Samantha rolled her eyes at the mention of Briar's love life "so you're still Using poor my woods then?"

"What? no! of course not! just because you think that I'm holding on to Mr woods because I'm scared I don't actually have a future with Mr. Malcraster doesn't mean it's true" Briar remarked.

"look I just don't see the spark between you and Mr woods but you and Mr. Malcraster have something special. and don't want you to throw it away. I just care about you ok?"

"I know and I totally get it I just need time to figure it out." briar smiled back at Samantha

"ok then.. if you're sure I won't bring it up again until you figure it out yourself"

"thank you." "anyway... now that you're back to be a simple country girl again you should totally go have some fun. oh! we could go for a walk down by the brook or we should go strawberry picking in the fields or.. or-"

"calm down there don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself? I'm only here to hide from the duke the more I go outside the more chance I get recognized and therefore the higher chance of been back within the dukes grasp. Maybe we could do some indoor activities like knitting or baking?"

"fine then be boring. but one of us needs to go outside anyway to get food we can't live off the dust! nobody is going to recognize as a lady you dressed like that. I'll just stay here and clean and get the cottage ready to be lived in again."

"fine then and just so you know your backhanded compliments don't get past me" she smirked at briar and turned towards the door "oh I should be back before dark if I'm not then sending a search party may be a thing to consider."

She unlocked the door and walked out into the brisk evening air, it would be dark in an hour or so so she would have to hurry. She briskly walked to the market and picked out an array of fresh produce that would last the two of them a week or so.

at least money isn't a problem anymore she thought to herself that was one of the perks of been noble at least. lady Samantha was nothing if not generous she made sure to give each man or woman stood behind each stall a hefty tip.  

by the time she was done at the market, the sun had already dipped below the hills and the earth would be swallowed by darkness in a matter of minutes. she picked up her pace and pressed Mr. Sinclaire's pocket watch closer to her heart from where it hung, hooked underneath her simple cloak.

Suddenly, a massive thud sounded behind her. she spun around to see an older man grinning at her like the Cheshire cat.

"um hello!" She Squeaked.

"Why aren't you a beauty. Why missy. you look so scared I don't mean any harm just a simple man trying to make an honest living. wait... I recognize you you're that lady of Edgewater everyone has been going on about, aren't you? Hand over anything of value and I might spare your life."

"wait no get away from me!" lady Samantha shrieked.

she turned on her heel and tried to run but the bigger and stronger man grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back

"so you wanna do this the hard way then?"  the brute ripped off her cloak and with it went her ridicule with all of her money in and most importantly, Mr. Sinclaire's pocket watch. the man shoved her down to the ground and grinned at her while examining his loot

"that wasn't so hard was it?" he smirked again before running off with that last bit of Mr. Sinclaire she had a hold of.

Tags list (tell me if you would like to be added!) @the-writerly-night-owl @melodyofgraves @briarsunicorn​

#choices #duke richards #playchoices #choices sinclaire #desire and decorum #mr sinclaire #ernest sinclaire #sinclaire x mc #pixelberry #briar daly #thanks #love you #what did i just write #i need therapy

[writingdotcoffee]

SHORT STORY: The Dead Borough #2

Read part #1 here.

Jack was on the 29th floor of the fridge-shaped office tower at 20 Fenchurch Street, working on a feature on the Brexit negotiations when the explosions happened. The first five were mere echoes of something horrible from far away. The sixth one shook the foundations of the building. The seventh made Jack hide under his desk. The eight had blown the fancy ground-to-ceiling windows out over his head. Thank god for safety glass.

Blackfriars, Millennium, Southwark. He watched the bridges burn and crumble into the Thames, breathing the noxious smoke that the steady northbound breeze brought his way. The power was out, his phone wasn’t working. He sat next to the broken window, incredulous, shaking all over until it dawned on him that the top of a skyscraper wasn’t the safest place to be when things around it were blowing up. At that time, he didn’t know that those explosives were detonated by the British Armed Forces. He had no idea that they flooded the underground tunnels and set up barricades up north, sealing the City of London closed. Strictly nobody was allowed in or out until a cure was found.

The government believed that a deadly virus had spread from a plague pit uncovered during deep excavations at a building site in Fleet Street. Unlike anything that people had ever seen, the mutated pathogen embedded itself deep inside the tissue, causing black open sores all over the infected person’s body. In one in three, the virus would spread into the brain and cause irreversible damage to the prefrontal cortex reducing the bearer to a bloodthirsty monster, attacking anything and everything in its way.

With no known cure or remedy, the only honourable course of action after discovering the first sore was a bullet through one’s own head. Not many cared about honour back then, and that’s how the Dead Borough came to be.

The last rays of sunshine filled the desolate streets with amber. The light found its way past the burned cars and soot-covered facades. It reflected off the broken windows and roof AC units that rust hadn’t consumed yet. The sun dipped behind a tall concrete gate at Mile End Road, casting a long shadow across the wide boulevard. Two figures dressed in black emerged from behind a wrecked double-decker and made their way into what used to be a dirt cheap chicken shop on the ground floor of a three-floor townhouse on the corner. The shop window was already gone. No need to bother opening the squeaky door.

Jack followed Victoria through the greasy kitchen with friers still full of rotting oil. A dead rat floated in one of them, its mouth ajar with two sets of crooked incisors showing. A lesson learned the hard way. They crept up a narrow staircase at the back. Jack would wait for Vic to assess the situation on each floor before moving on until they reached the top and found the door they were looking for.

Their eyes met as they were standing with their back against the wall on either side of it. Jack’s breath grew heavier. They both wore black scarves to conceal their identity, but they knew what that subtle nod meant.

Without warning, Vic spun around and kicked the door open. The latch broke, sending splinters of wood flying across the room. Then both of them burst inside. Should anybody be home, Vic and Jack had the element of surprise on their side.

‘All clear,’ Vic said. She placed her Glock into the holster under her arm and pulled one of the heavy curtains open. A puff of dust lifted in the air. Jack squinted at the golden light that poured in from the outside. He turned his headlamp off and walked over to the sash window.

’This is perfect,’ he said. The window gave him a view of the gate and anything that might come through it. He put his backpack on the floor and started taking his gear out.

‘Hurry up and don’t touch anything,’ Vic said when she emerged from the kitchen, her gun back in her hand.

‘What do you mean?’

‘We’re in a drug den.’

That didn’t really surprise Jack. The place was squalid. The sofa in the middle of the room had ripped cushions, the carpet was stained with god knows what, the smell putrid. Every horizontal surface in the room had empty beer bottles and gnarled cigarette butts piled on it. The doorframe around the kitchen was blackened as if it had gone up in flames. There were no discarded needles or crack pipes. They were so scarce that the junkies protected them more than their own fingers.

After the bridges came down and the barricades rose up north, people were desperate for anything that could alleviate the misery, make them forget if only for a few hours that it was just a matter of time before they became infected too. The rapid increase in demand along with massively diminished supply turned drugs into a currency. Having access to any sort of snortable, smokable or injectable substance made people ready to do anything just to get some—most often shank you in the eye and take it.

‘Calm down. It looks like nobody’s been home for weeks,’ Jack said. Instead of cleaning up, junkies often just move two doors down.

Vic rolled her eyes.

‘I’ll need at least half an hour to set up.’

‘You’ve got 15 minutes.’

Jack trusted Victoria’s judgement, but that didn’t mean he didn’t find her military attitude annoying at times. Alas, she was the one with the gun. Frankly, even without a gun… Let’s just say he was happy that they were both on the same side.

She was a full foot shorter than Jack with a fringed bob of bloody red hair. Not the sort of red that oozes out of a paper cut. The deep crimson that squirts out of a severed jugular which made Jack refer to her affectionately as Vicious Vic. She wore a survival knife in a battered sheath attached horizontally to her belt. The massive blade had undoubtedly met with many a jugular.

In her past life, Vic was a professional soldier commanding one of the units they sent in to cover the others building the barricades. The radio simply went quiet when it was time for pickup. Nobody had told them that they weren’t coming back.

Jack spread out the telescopic legs of his tripod. He zipped his bag open and took out a brand-new, professional-grade DSLR and a giant telephoto lens. He had picked up both from an abandoned camera showroom at Strand. All this equipment would have set him back £8,000, but it was worthless when people had barely anything to eat. He mounted the camera onto the tripod and positioned it in front of the sash window. He switched the lens to manual mode and focused it on the ground just in front of the gate. With aperture at f/11.0, that should keep most of the scene safely in focus.

The first few test shots he took came out grainy, not because of the settings, but because of the thick film of dirt that covered the outside of the glass. After thinking about it for a while, Jack stuck his knife under the lower window pane. The wooden frame squealed as he lifted it up just enough to be able to wedge the lens hood under it.

‘Hey!’ Vic hissed from behind, making him jump.

‘Jesus Christ!’ Jack took a deep breath. ‘What?’

‘I said don’t touch anything.’

‘I’m not touching anything. The window was too bloody filthy.’

‘How long?’ Vic asked impatiently.

‘I’m almost done.’

He readjusted the tripod and fixed the exposition parameters on the camera. The sun had set already, but expecting that it would get a little darker later on, Jack adjusted the settings accordingly. He put the camera into time-lapse mode. It would snap a photo every second throughout the night and save it onto one of the two 512GB storage cards inside. All he needed was one photo taken at the right time that would give him an irrefutable proof that people were entering and leaving. Publish that, and the Internet would take care of the rest.

The camera snapped away, and Vic sneaked back out to the corridor while Jack went over everything one more time. Out of all their hunts for electricity in the past, he had never seen her as nervous as today. Her anxiety was contagious.

Composition, focus, exposition, quiet shutter mode, display off, front status diode—shit. It was on. A short flash of bright green with every photo taken wasn’t exactly inconspicuous. Jack was sure he turned that one off last night. He must have forgotten to save the settings.

It took a five-minute crawl through the camera’s endless menus before he found the right option to turn off. Then he formatted the storage cards and restarted the time lapse.

A muffled echo of Vic’s voice sounded from the stairwell. Jack couldn’t quite understand, but he replied anyway. ‘I’m coming.’

He switched his headlamp on and cut a thick bin liner bag along its long side. He wanted to wrap the camera body so that if it resolved to blink again, it wouldn’t attract any unwanted attention.

The distant howl of sentries—the massive patrol drones that scoured the borough during the night marked the beginning of tonight’s curfew. And then came the shots. Two blasts sounded out of the corridor in rapid succession.

Jack threw himself to the ground, instinctively wrapping his arms around his head. Seconds passed. His ears were ringing.

‘Vic?’ Jack shouted, but he could barely hear himself. His heart was racing. He grabbed his knife from the filthy carpet. In one swift motion, he leapt back to his feet and went for the door. He called after her again. She didn’t answer.

Jack’s knees trembled as he crept into the darkness outside of the flat, illuminated by a narrow strip of white light coming out of his headlamp.

‘Vic? Are you all right?’

The air stirred behind him. Jack turned around frantically. The headlamp illuminated a pair of wide-open eyes, unkempt beard and toothless grin. Something came down on his head, and everything turned black.

The Dead Borough #3 is out now!

(C) Radek Pazdera

Thanks for reading! If you’d like to a weekly message from me with free stories like that, subscribe to my mailing list.

#writing #writers #write #fiction #short story #serial #the dead borough #dead borough #post apocalyptic #wip #deliberate practice #amwriting #writeblr #writing life

[empressdrega27]

His Universe

I felt like writing, so here’s a story based off of a prompt i saw a while ago.

Prompt: I love you, not them. 

Y/B/M = “Your birth month”  H/C= “hair color”  H/L= “hair length”  S/T= “ skin tone” E/C= “ eye color”

 There was always something. Always one little detail that would ruin everything, like a loose thread on sweater. One pull, and it all unravels. All it took was a wrong tug or a misplaced gesture to make it all come undone. That was what Y/n felt like anyways. She felt like her whole life was one loose thread away from being completely destroyed. So, when things started going right for a change, well, Y/n could hardly believe it. She was a science major (she didn’t know which science yet so she just said science), and she had gotten the opportunity to go to a very prestigious college in New York City, with a full scholar ship to boot. Sure it was a little far from her home town, but she would learn so much there! Though, there was a tiny problem, Y/n’s scholarship covered the cost of tuition and a nice dorm, but it didn’t cover the cost of food or additional expenses. Which meant that Y/n had to get a job.

 She checked listing after listing until she found an open position as a bookkeeper in the archives of the Museum Of Natural History. It was perfect, a quiet position away from many people, Y/n couldn’t wait to start. On her first day Y/n was escorted to the archives by a very nice lady by the name of Rebecca.

“So, you’re the new bookkeeper for the archives right?”, Rebecca asked.

“Oh, um, yeah. I need a job to cover some of my extra expenses for college, I have a full scholarship, but it doesn’t cover everything”, Y/n smiled.

Rebecca’s eyes widened, “Wow, your grades must be excellent to get a scholarship like that! How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Ah, the infamous question. At least one person asked Y/n how old she was when they met her, on account of her height. Y/n was quite a bit taller than your average college student, so naturally she got asked how old she was. It didn’t bother her though, she’d been asked questions like that all her life.

“19″, Y/n replied, “I’ll be 20 in Y/B/M”.

“Oh.”

“Is something wrong?”, Y/n asked.

“OH, No, nothing’s wrong. I was just expecting you to be, uh.....”

“Older”, Y’n finished Rebecca’s sentence.

“I’m sorry, I’ve just never met someone as tall as you before. I didn’t mean to offend you”, Rebecca admitted.

“You didn’t, I get asked that question all the time”.

Y/n normally didn’t get along with people she didn’t know well, but talking with Rebecca was so easy! Y/n learned about Rebecca’s fascination with Sacagawea, and Rebecca found that Y/n absolutely loved books. Soon, they had arrived at the archives, and Rebecca had to go back to work. She said good-bye to Y/n, and Y/n started her own work.

A couple hours had passed when a man came into the archives, Y/n recognized him as the museum’s curator, Dr. McPhee.

“You. New girl. Have you seen a grotesque little child...thing come in here?”

“No sir, I’m afraid you’re the only person who’s came in since I got here”, Y/n answered, “Did you need anything else?”

McPhee looked extremely annoyed for a moment, then he seemed to remember something.

“Ah, yes. I need a document receipt for an artifact.”

“Um, a document receipt, sir?”

“Yes! A document receipt! You know one of those papers we get when an artifact arrives on loan from another museum?!”, he gestured wildly as he spoke.

“Do you mean a loan conformation slip?”, Y/n inquired.

“I, well, yes”, he admitted.

Y/n smiled and asked, “For which artifact, sir?”

He told her the artifact’s name and ID number, and Y/n looked it up in the museum database. She found the document and told Dr. McPhee where it was. He went to get it only to find that the binder with the document was on the top shelf.

“New girl! Get me a step ladder!”

Y/n sighed and stood up. She walked over to her boss and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Well it’s about bloody time!”, he exclaimed as he turned around. When he saw her, he shrieked.

“EEEAGH!!”

Y/n resisted the urge to roll her eyes and interjected,

“May I, sir?”

Y/n reached up and effortlessly grabbed the binder, while McPhee sputtered in shock. She then handed him the binder and went to sit back down at her desk.

As she walked away McPhee shouted,

“Now hold on just a minute! How old are you?!”

Y/n smirked, it was going to be interesting working here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Y/n stood up and stretched, these chairs were way too low for someone with long legs. It was nearly closing time, but Y/n didn’t want to leave just yet. She had asked McPhee if she could stay late, and he had said something to the effect of “whatever, but don’t touch anything”. So she decided that now was a good time to explore. She walked around the massive building reading every plaque and admiring every exhibit. As Y/n was walking, she heard a voice calling out to her.

“Hey! What are you doing here?! The museum’s closing!”

Y/n turned to see a night guard running towards her.

He stopped, and doubled over panting.

“Are you alright?”, Y/n asked, concerned.

“I, *pant* I’m fine, I just got *wheeze* winded. I’m not as *cough* young as I used to be.”

“Do you want me to get you some water?”, Y/n offered.

The guard’s breathing evened out and he stood up.

“Thanks, but I’m fine now. I saw you a few exhibits ago, and I tried to get your attention, but you were really zoned out. Then I tried to catch up to you. You ever thought about taking up speed walking professionally?”

Y/n laughed and said, “Not really. I wasn’t even walking that fast, I guess my stride is longer than yours.”

“No kidding”, the guard said, “You probably get this a lot, but how tall are you?”

Y/n smiled a bit and replied, “Six foot four and a half.”

The guard whistled, “Woah. Have you ever considered being a model?”

Y/n’s expression darkened, “No.”

“Why not?’, the guard inquired.

“Because... I’m not pretty enough”, Y/n muttered.

“Says who?”

Y/n sighed sadly, “Everyone”.

The guard seemed surprised.

“Well ‘everyone’ is wrong. I think you’d make a killing as a model”.

“Forgive me for my bluntness sir, but I think I’m a bit young for you”, Y/n said, an air of annoyance about her.

The guard’s eyes widened and he put his hands up. 

“I swear that’s not what I meant! You seem like a really nice young lady, I thought that, I mean I, It’s just.....”

Y/n stared at him with a raised eyebrow. 

The guard sighed and said, “I’m sorry can we start over? My name is Larry Daley, what’s yours?”

Y/n chuckled and replied, “Y/n L/n. Pleased to meet you Larry.”

“So, do you believe that I wasn’t trying to hit on you?”, Larry asked.

“Yeah, I believe you. I don’t think you’re that type of guy”.

“So, Y/n, what are you doing at a museum at this time of night?”

She looked at him and told him about college and her new job. Why were these people so easy to talk to?! Why did it feel like she belonged here?

“Well Y/n, it’s been nice to meet you, but it’s time for you to go”, Larry said.

“What?! No way am I leaving! I have permission to be here!”, Y/n declared.

“From who?”, Larry questioned.

“From OUR boss,” Y/n affirmed.

“You mean McPhee gave you permission to stay in the museum after dark?”

“Yes, he did.”

Larry was sweating, he didn’t know what to do. If he made Y/n leave, then she’d tell McPhee, who’d probably fire him. But if he let her stay, she find out the secret of the museum. He was at a loss, but the more he thought about it, he realized, what harm could it do?

Larry looked at Y/n and told her, “Follow me”.

Y/n inquired, “Why?”

“Just follow me, please?”

Everything one learns in school about stranger danger should have made Y/n think twice about following the strange night guard that she barely knew, but something in her made her feel that she could trust him. So she followed him.

They arrived at the guards office, and Larry shut the door behind Y/n.

“Okay”, Larry started, “Can you keep a secret Y/n?”

“What kind of secret?”

“A very big one”, Larry replied.

Y/n was silent for a moment. 

“Well?”, Larry nagged.

“Yes, I can keep a secret”, Y/n agreed.

“Okay, so. I doubt you’ll believe me until you see it, but do you know the Tablet of Ahkmenrah?”

“Of course. It’s one of the most famous artifacts in this museum”, Y/n acknowledged.

“Good. The tablet is magic. It brings everything in this museum to life at night”, Larry explained. 

Y/n’ eyes lit up.

“You’re serious? You’re not making this up to mess with me are you?”

“No. Everything comes to life every night.”

“Show me”, Y/n said.

Larry nodded and led the way. The sun was just starting to dip below the horizon. Soon the two were in the Egyptology exhibit, specifically, the Tomb of Ahkmenrah.

“It’s almost time”, Larry said.

A few moments later, the tablet glowed gold and suddenly, Y/n heard all manner of noises. A mammoth trumpeting, lion roars, and, was that the T-Rex skeleton?! It was amazing. Then Y/n heard screaming, and it was coming from the sarcophagus. It made sense that Ahkmenrah’s tablet would bring him back to life as well, but that didn’t mean that that information wasn’t terrifying. Never the less, Y/n couldn’t let the man suffer in there, so she went and pushed the stone slab off of the display. Larry wasn’t far behind, he came and unlocked the pins holding the lid on. When they were released, the lid of the sarcophagus flew into the adjacent wall. A figure wrapped in bandages sat up in the coffin. It turned and stepped out of the box, and unwrapped it’s face. Y/n had no idea what was under those wrappings, but Larry seemed completely unfazed, so she tried not to assume the worst. When the mummy had removed the linen from his face he looked at Larry and spoke,

“Good evening guardian of Brooklyn. I trust you are well?”

The man’s voice was completely different from what Y/n was expecting, he spoke in perfect english, and he had a very smooth British accent. 

Larry answered, “Hey Ahk. I’m doing fine, how about you?”

The pharaoh smiled and replied, “I am doing quite well, though I could not help but notice that you were late.”

Larry scratched the back of his neck and replied, “Yeah, sorry about that. I was talking with a new friend.” He gestured to Y/n. 

Ahkmenrah looked to where Larry had pointed and he saw her. The two looked at each other. Y/n could see Ahkmenrah’s face clearly now. He had grey-green eyes with hooded eyelids, and he had short curly black hair. His skin was a sun kissed bronze, and his smile was beautiful. He was hands down, the most gorgeous man Y/n had ever seen. She could hardly breathe, and it seemed that Ahk was in a similar situation. When he turned to look at Larry’s new friend, he was shocked. Before him stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had glossy H/L H/C hair, flawless S/T skin, and the most breathtaking E/C eyes. She was a goddess. He walked toward her, and when he was in front of her he had to look up to look her in the eyes. She towered over him like a mighty obelisk. He bowed lowly, and said,

“I am Ahkmenrah, fourth king of the fourth king, ruler of the land of my fathers. I would be honored to hear your name.”

Y/n blushed and answered, “I’m Y/n Y/l, you don’t have to bow to me, I don’t have a special title or anything. It’s an honor to meet you, your highness.”

She did her best curtsy as Ahk straightened up.

“Y/n. What a magnificent name, it fits you well. It is as beautiful as you are.”

She blushed even more at that and stammered, “T-thank you your majesty.”

“Please, no more of that nonsense. Ahkmenrah is fine, or just Ahk if you prefer. I understand that my name is a bit of a mouthful.”

“I don’t think it is. I suppose most people can’t figure out the inflection”, Y/n replied.

Ahk’s face lit up, “Can you say it with the inflection?”

“Of course! Ahkmenrah. It’s not that hard,” Y/n asserted.

A massive grin appeared on Ahk’s face, “That was perfect! I don’t think even I could say it better! You are even more incredible than I thought.”

“Why thank you Ahkmenrah”, Y/n was certain that she would never stop blushing at this point.

“How about we let Ahk get dressed?”, Larry cut in.

“Ah. Yes, if you’ll excuse me Y/n, I shall be done in a moment.”

“Yeah, um, take your time!”, Y/n walked out of the tomb and waited by an exhibit of Egyptian jewelry. She became so engrossed in the exhibit that she didn’t hear Ahk walking towards her once he was dressed.

“Exquisite, aren’t they?”

Y/n gasped and flinched. Ahk put his hand on her arm and said,

“Are you alright? I didn’t mean to startle you. I apologize.”

“I’m fine! I just got caught up with reading the stuff on the exhibit, that’s all”, Y/n assured him.

“I’m glad you’re all right. Do you like to read?”

Y/n beamed and answered, “Oh yes! I love to read, I always have, that’s why I got a job at the archives in this museum!”

“You work here?”

Y/n nodded, “I just got the job today in fact.”

Ahk and Y/n kept talking and wandering through the exhibits together. Larry watched them talking, and as the two disappeared around a corner, Larry saw Ahk looking up at Y/n and listening to her speak. Larry chuckled under his breath, Oh man. It had only been 15 minutes and Ahk was in love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  In the days after Y/n found out about the museum she met more of the exhibits. Y/n came to know that Rebecca had known about the museum and that she was dating Larry. She met Jed and Octavius, who she liked very much. They liked her very much too, and they could see how absolutely besotted Y/n was. She adored Ahk, but she was afraid to make a move. She thought he was WAY outta her league. After all he was so handsome and sweet, and she wasn’t good enough for him. He was her best friend, she didn’t wanna ruin that.

Meanwhile, Ahk was trying his hardest to make Y/n see that he loved her. He complimented her constantly, he kissed her hand, he hugged her, but she never did anything other than blush. He was beginning to think that she didn’t feel the same way. Until one day he decided to go for broke. When Y/n came to see him that night , Ahk said he had something to show her. She followed him.

“Where are we going Ahk?”

“Patience, my beauty. It’s a surprise.”

“Okay...”, Y/n was suspicious.

They came to a deserted part of the museum, and Ahk took off his crown.

“Well, where’s this surprise? I don’t see anything.”

“Close your eyes”, Ahk said.

Y/n sighed and grumbled, “Alright, but this better be good.”

She closed her eyes and heard Ahk’s clothes jingling as he walked. He was getting closer. She waited. Suddenly, Y/n felt Ahk’s arms around her neck, and his lips on hers. She gasped. Was this really happening? Was Ahk, KISSING HER?! He must have thought that her gasp was a bad sign because she felt him pulling back. Y/n couldn’t have that. She wrapped her arms around his back and kissed him again. He didn’t hesitate, he squeezed her tighter and deepened the kiss. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours. When they broke the kiss Ahk put both of his hands on Y/n’s face and said,

“Y/n, my beauty, my lotus, my goddess, I love you. I have loved you from the moment we met. I cannot live without you, you are what makes waking up each night worth it.”

Y/n placed her forehead against his,

“Ahkmenrah, I love you too. I adore you. I would do anything for you. I count the hours until I can be with you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, my king. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“I am also sorry, for not being more forward. I was trying to be subtle, but I suppose subtle doesn’t always work”, Ahk smiled.

Y/n laughed, “It would probably have worked better if I wasn’t so oblivious.”

Ahk chuckled, “Perhaps, but it worked out in the end. That’s all that matters.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a little over a year since Ahkmenrah had confessed to Y/n, and their relationship was still going strong. The museum was now open at night, and Y/n was allowed to assist Ahk with tours. It was fun telling facts about history to all the interesting visitors, especially when Ahk was with her. Y/n’s life had become so good and happy, she knew that something would come along to ruin it. Sooner or later it would happen, it always did. And Y/n was right, her unraveling came in the form of some of the museum guests. There were always people who looked at Ahk, he was a guide after all, but there were some whose gaze lingered a bit more than necessary. There were some guests that didn’t follow the rules, they laughed and flirted, they batted their perfect eyelashes at him. Y/n wouldn’t have minded so much if they didn’t always ignore her! They always pretended she wasn’t there, Ahk always introduced himself, and then he introduced Y/n as his girlfriend and lovely assistant, but these people never listened. 

It started getting worse after a while. Now the group started calling Y/n names when Ahk wasn’t looking. Then they would shove her. Some would even yell at her if they were alone with her. But that wasn’t the worst thing, the worst thing of all was that Y/n had started believing what they were saying about her. She believed she wasn’t good enough for Ahk, that he was just with her because he felt sorry for her. Y/n believed that Ahk never thought she was beautiful, it was all just a joke, like her. She got worse and worse each day. All the light had gone out of her eyes, and Ahk was worried sick. His beloved was looking more and more despondent each day. It had to be those rude idiots that came around every so often. Well, if he caught them hurting his goddess, they would be sorry.

One day, the group of mean girls (and some boys) returned. They tormented Y/n as usual, only this time they managed to break her. She started sobbing and ran. They laughed at her, and started looking for Ahk, but he had seen what happened. He ran after Y/n and found her in his exhibit. He had never really seen her cry, and never wanted to see it again. He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her, stroking her back. 

“Shhhhh. It’s alright, I’ve got you. I’m here,” he soothed.

Y/n sobbed, “They’re right! I don’t deserve you. I’m ugly and stupid, and worthless! I should have never been born!”

At this point Ahkmenrah had tears running down his face as well. How could anyone be so cruel? Y/n was the kindest, most generous person he had ever met.. To make her feel so awful, was a heinous crime, and Ahk would make them suffer for this, but for now he would make Y/n feel better.

“Y/n look at me, please!”

She reluctantly did as he asked.

“Y/n when I look at you I see perfection. Your hair is an ocean of beauty, not even the finest silk could compare. In your eyes I see the universe, my universe. Because that’s what you are to me! You are my universe, the sun, the moon, the stars, you are all of them!”

Y/n sniffled, “But I’m too tall, and I-I’m f-fat.”

Ahk shook his head, “You are neither of those my love. You are mighty and strong, you are like the pyramids, a monument to greatness that will never fall.”

“Do you think I’m stupid, Ahk?”, Y/n muttered.

“My lotus, I have never met a more brilliant soul. Your intelligence is beyond those fool’s comprehension. If you are stupid, then this building is made of candy floss and I still have all of my internal organs.” 

Y/n giggled at that, and Ahk nuzzled her nose, “That’s my girl.”

“Can I ask you something Ahk?”

“Of course Love, what is it?”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t be happier with someone else?”

Ahk chimed in, “You mean someone like them, right?”

Y/n nodded.

Ahk leaned in and kissed her with as much love as he could muster. When he broke the kiss he murmured, “I love you, not them. I could never love someone as cruel as that. I will love you forever, no matter what.”

Y/n smiled, and replied, “Thank you, my king.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Epilogue...

A few days passed since the incident, and all of the exhibits had been told about the cruelty Y/n had suffered. They were outraged of course, and vowed that if those responsible ever showed their faces again, they would pay for what they did. Y/n was feeling better since then, and now had more self-confidence than ever, thanks not only to Ahk, but also to all of their friends as well.

Eventually, the group of mean girls (and guys) returned, but this time things were different. Now they were not only ignoring her again, they were touching Ahk. Y/n could tell that he was uncomfortable, and finally she had enough. It was one thing to harass her, it’s another thing completely to harass her boyfriend. As soon as one of the slime balls laid their skeezy hands on him, Y/n struck. She tapped the offending girl on the shoulder and, BAM! Y/n clocked her. 

“Who’s next?”, she asked in a menacing voice.

The group started to back away. 

“If any of you pricks come back here for any other reason than ta learn, I will smack all a y’all so hard you’ll get knocked into the next state. Do I make my self clear?”  They nodded and ran off, like the cowards they were. 

The one on the ground looked up at Y/n and asked, “You were so weak, what happened?”

Y/n smiled and replied, “I realized that you were the ones who were weak. You knew that Ahkmenrah would never leave me, so you tried to make me leave instead, but here’s the thing. I’ll never give him up, not to you, not to anyone. I love him more than you could comprehend, and I know that you’re jealous of me. I should never have believed anything you assholes said, but I was worried. Worried that my happiness would unravel like it always did, but now I know the truth. With Ahk, I’ll always be happy, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” 

They never returned to the museum, and Ahkmenrah and Y/n continued to live and be happy, together. Sometimes it may feel like one wrong move and your world comes undone, but remember, No matter how much of your life comes apart, there will always be someone to help you put it back together.

The End 

#WOOOO BOI DID THAT GET LOOOOOOONG #sorry not sorry #i love this one #i think it turned out really well actually #ahkmenrah x reader #natm #drega writes

[kazosa]

Secrets - SoA: Chapter 9

Summary: Reader has lived in a life full of secrets. When her father dies unexpectedly and sends her on a trip all over the country, she finds out just how much like her father she really is. The end of her trip brings her to Charming, CA where she finally gets some big pieces of her family puzzle put back in place and form new relationships with the people there. Chapter 9: shopping and a certain, avoided email. Warnings: language, it’s FLUFFY again A/N: If it wasn’t clear before, this takes place after the events of the final episode, SPOILERS! Italics are for Chibs and his inner thoughts. Bold is for the reader’s inner thoughts. Word Count: 2500 Tags: @telford-ortiz-teller  @sam-samcro  @tstieff  @yourcroweater  @kacilove26  @hiddlelove  @evilsorceress  @reallynigga21  @suz-123  @between-shades-of-winchester  @caitcrook  @i-was-made-of-nutella  @charlottecl    not all of the tags are working, strikethroughs didn’t work, sorry, I tried!!

IF YOU WISH TO BE TAGGED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN SOME WAY. ASK BOX IS SAFEST WAY, BUT I DO TRY TO LOOK AT ALL COMMENTS AND REBLOGS. COMMENTS WELCOME AND APPRECIATED! Secrets Masterlist

The next day, it was your turn to wake up to cussing. The words were coming out in a flurry of what you were sure were Gaelic expletives.

“Wha’ do ya mean ya havena got anyone?! It’s colder than a witch’s tit in here. What kind of shite business are ye runnin’?!” There was a long pause before, “Yes,” he enunciated, “put me on the damn list.”

His thumb mashed the ‘end’ button and he threw the phone at the nearest chair. It bounced off the cushion and skittered to a stop somewhere on the wood floor. You noticed he was wearing his lounge pants again and a t-shirt instead of just his underwear and wife-beater as he strode back into the bedroom from the living room. He didn’t see you lying awake watching him.

Normally, you only slept with a sheet over you, sometimes a blanket. Now, you were covered with a sheet, blanket and a heavier blanket on top. You assumed Chibs had covered you, realizing why he had done so as soon as you flung the covers back and immediately replaced them due to the cold.

“Fucking hell Chibs, what happened?!” you asked.

Climbing back in bed with you, he pulled you close to him.

“Ahh,” he said, “are ye always so warm, m’aingeal?”

“Yes,” you snuggled into him, “What’s going on?”

He did that Scottish growl you liked.

“Goddamned furnace took a shit,” he said.

You were amused at how pissed he was and how he wasn’t seeing the obvious benefits.

You kissed the corner of his mouth, “Babe…” kiss, “we could…” sucking his lip into your mouth, “spend all day…” deep, sensual kiss, “in bed…”

You were sitting in your usual, lumpy, uncomfortable as all hell armchair, reading emails from Jack and it reminded you of the letter your dad had written for Chibs. It made you wonder what was in it, but you wouldn’t open it without him, it wasn’t yours to open.

It was cold in the apartment, but you were used to way colder temperatures than the one you were experiencing. You tried, not very hard, to not snicker at Chibs buried under a heavy blanket, sitting in his p.o.s. chair.

“Comfy,” you didn’t try too hard to keep the amusement out of your voice.

“Christ, I’m freezing my balls off,” he said, tucking himself in more.

“Why don’t you have a couch” you paused a beat, “or better chairs?”

“You don’t like these?” he asked, his face only just visible above the ridiculous heap of blanket.

You gave him a look that said, “Really?”

He sighed, “Yeah, I know. I thought they’d be okay. I have no idea,” he looked all around at the mismatched furniture and apartment, “what…goes. Never needed a couch.”

“If you had a couch, I could sit with you and keep you warm,” you were being sincere, but he raised an eyebrow at you. With a little smirk, “That, too.”

“Shit,” he threw off the blanket, “let’s go get one. At least the truck has heat.”

You and Chibs ended up making a day of it. The stores in Stockton didn’t have anything worth looking at, so you went on to Oakland. He took you out to lunch before finally finding a store that had a good variety of furniture and a large selection.

He was at a loss. Everything looked the same. The only differences he saw were in size. He had no idea what to pick. They were all just a mass of cushions and color. He raised his hands out to his sides, overwhelmed with options.

“Christ, lass. I don’t know. Wha’ do you like?” he asked her.

They’d been in the store almost an hour already. (Y|N) was testing them all for “comfort and durability,” she’d said. Never in a million years did he think he would be picking out furniture with anyone. It made his heart ache a little knowing she probably wouldn’t be around to enjoy the couch with him. He almost didn’t want to get one now.

People were giving them dirty looks as they passed by. There was one woman in particular who couldn’t stop staring, an evil look plastered on her face. He returned the favor as she passed. (Y|N) was blissfully unaware. She came up to him smiling, her poor cheek bruised a purple color. Her arm snaked through his to wrap around his waist. Pulling his hands out of his pockets, he held her gently so he didn’t hurt her ribs.

“I’m sorry I’m taking so long. Do you like any of these?” she asked, looking up at him.

He really hadn’t noticed how long they had been in the store, he just liked being with her, even if it was furniture shopping. Doing normal things, for a change, was…nice. He genuinely enjoyed her company.

“I don’t mind, love,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I will like whatever you pick. I trust ye. Not to rush ye, lass, but it would be okay if…”

The wretched old bag was back with the manager and giving him the evil eye again.

He suddenly tensed under your hands. His gaze was fixed on something behind you, his eyes like cold steel and just as forgiving. You tucked yourself into his side so you could turn to see what was bothering him. His arm slid protectively down your back. When you turned your head, you were met with the manager looking directly at you.

“Ma’am, may I speak to you in private?” he asked.

You could tell he was trying to be discreet, but his eyes kept flicking up to Chibs. His behavior immediately put you on edge.

“No. Whatever you say to me, I’ll just tell him anyway. We don’t have secrets,” you told him.

The manager, Brad, his nametag said, shifted from foot to foot.

“Ma’am, are you okay? Do you need help?” he asked.

The woman that had been standing behind the manager spoke up.

“Of course, she’s not okay! Look at her face! He’s one of those filthy biker men that run around here. Honey, you deserve better than that.” She pointed a finger at Chibs, “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

You heard Brad say, “Mrs. Krijcek, that’s not helpful!”

“Excuse me, just a moment,” you said before Brad could continue.

The ice pack had helped a lot, the swelling was almost gone, but you knew how you looked. The cut above your eye, the bruised cheek and swelling. It looked like Chibs was the one that had done it to you. Brad was just trying to help, but Mrs. Krijcek was being what the Sons called a “gash.” She couldn’t stop shooting daggers out of her eyes at Chibs. Turning to look up at him, his gaze was shifting from the manager to the old woman, then around the store, especially the doors.

“Chibs,” you said.

“Hmm?” he was still scanning the store.

You reached up your hand to his jaw, so tense under your hand, “Filip?” He slowly turned his gaze to meet yours and you felt a little tension leave his body, his handsome face softening.

“Ready to go?” you asked him.

His head dipped down, his forehead resting on yours, “Aye, love. Let’s get out of here before one of us does something stupid.”

He took your hand and wanted you to walk away with him. Planting your feet to make him stop, “I gotta say one more thing.”

You stood in front of Mrs. Krijcek. “Look lady, that sweet man would never lay a finger on me in anger,” You indicated your cheek, “This came from some nasty gash that thought it was okay to talk shit about me and my old man. She got a broken nose for her mouthiness. If you think I deserve someone better than this man, then you clearly don’t know him and should keep your judgmental mouth shut.”

Chibs pulled you to him, giving you a quick kiss. His arm went around your shoulders and you put yours around his waist as you started to make your way out of the store.

It was hard to stand back and keep his mouth shut when (Y|N) was talking to the manager shit and the old woman. He was so mad he was almost sweating. He was distracting himself by looking around the store and at the doors to see if the manager shit had called the cops. But then, she did something he wasn’t used to anymore, she stuck up for him and she called him her ‘old man’. He’d needed to take a couple deep breaths to hold back the tears that threatened to form. He was falling for her hard and he knew it. He couldn’t have picked anyone better suited to him. She just had this way about her that no matter what he felt at home with her.

He pulled her to him, holding her face in his hands as he kissed her. He draped his arm around her shoulders and he felt her arm go around his back to feel her hand rest on his hip and walked out of the store with the woman he loved.

On the way back, you had Chibs stop at one of those big discount retailers and bought a fairly nice futon. It wasn’t especially pretty, or horribly uncomfortable like those god-forsaken armchairs. All you needed it to do was let you sit next to your old man and keep him warm while you watched TV with him under that ridiculously large blanket.

While in the store, Chibs got the idea to call Rat to gather some prospects to haul the big box up to the apartment and put it together. An hour later, after much swearing and smoke breaks, you and Chibs were sitting in a proper living room watching Game of Thrones and Chibs was huddled under the massive blanket. The repair tech for the furnace still hadn’t been by, but Rat had enough sense to bring over a space heater to take the chill out of the air.

You needed to finish going over the reports Jack had sent before you’d gone on your shopping excursion and it reminded you of the letter again. Turning on the computer, you bought up the original email that had held all of the files. The one from your dad to Chibs was the only one left.

“Chibs,” you waited for a response. Putting your hand over his, “Filip.” His head turned away from the TV to look at you. “There’s still this letter from my dad…”

He hadn’t forgotten. He wasn’t sure he wanted to read the last words from his friend. He didn’t want to put the lass through any more pain, and he sure as shit didn’t want her to see him get emotional over it, either.

“I’ll sit with you, if ya want,” she said softly. “I don’t have to read it, I can just be here.”

“Aye, lass,” he said. “I’d like tha’.”

She handed over the laptop and leaned into him as she brought up the file. Her pretty eyes had the shadow of sadness in them when she looked up at him. She gave him a couple of quick kisses before throwing back the blanket, disappearing into the bedroom. He was staring at the file. He couldn’t bring himself to open it just yet.

(Y|N) came back with a roll of toilet paper and took back her spot next to him. She didn’t say anything, she just put the roll in a spot between them and nestled into him.

His hand hovered over the touch pad before he moved his hand away and came to rest on your blanket covered knee. You double-tapped on the file and the text came into view immediately.      Chibs,           If you’re reading this, it means I’m gone. I want you to know, I’m glad Jax handed the club to you. There’s no one better suited to it than you and I know you’ll do everything in your power to keep the club on the right track. You have my full confidence, brother. Jack will make sure my girl has no worries taking care of the business and she’ll get you through the audit. She’s fully certified in the state of California. Jack will have no problems running things in her absence.           If you’re reading this, it also means that my plan worked and my girl is there with you. Debbie and I kept it all from her. If my girl is there with you, tell her everything. She deserves to know. Jack and I are getting some info together so she can read it when she’s ready, too. Don’t hold back, brother. She may be my pretty princess, but she’s way tougher than she looks. She’s incredibly smart and her brain is very sharp. Whatever you do, don’t lie to her, she’ll know and she deserves better after what Debbie and I did, even if it was to protect her. I’ve just got this one last secret to keep.           I want you to look after her, Chibs, make sure she’s okay. Take care of my little girl. At the very least, I want you two to be friends. I couldn’t pick a better man to look after her.           Tell my pretty princess I love her. It was my honor knowing you, Chibs.           Bud

“Well, I like ye well enough,” he said nudging you, no doubt trying to make you smile.

“Yeah, I think we might be friends,” you pulled the blanket back. Maybe you were reading too much into things, but you got the distinct impression your dad had been playing matchmaker with his little plan. You looked up at the ceiling and a silent ‘thank you’ to your dad. Despite his annoyingly consistent correctness, you were grateful for the now, not-so-fateful meeting you had with Chibs. You took away the laptop, shut it down and set it aside as well.

Taking care of (Y|N) would be easy…if she let him. Nothing was ever certain. She still needed to go back to Iowa to take care of her business and to work things out with Debbie. It was just a matter of whether or not she would come back. He thought she would…he hoped she would. Things were moving at light-speed for them, but he knew he cared for her a great deal. He was sure he was in love with her. Her being with him made him feel alive again and the thought of her leaving sent a sharp pain to his heart when he thought about it.

When she took away the computer, he wondered what she was doing. She looked like she had a plan running around inside that head of hers. He sat there waiting to see what was going to happen. She pulled back the blanket then straddled his lap leaving no question as to what was going to happen.

She ground her hips into him, drawing a moan as her mouth came down to meet his. The heat of her body pressed against him took away any chill he may have had. After a few moments, she said, “And to think, we almost didn’t get a couch today.”

#reader insert #chibs telford #chibs x reader #sons of anachy #fan fiction #fan fic #kazosa #secrets #chapter 9